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Chunin Exam Start!
Strange Individuals Akane woke with a start and looked over at the other side of the bed. Yuri was sleeping soundly enough. It took Akane a moment to remember why she felt so jittery. Of course. The Chunin Exams were starting today. She slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Yuri and began to get dressed. "If I can get promoted, I'll be that much closer to Onee-chan's rank." She came bounding down the stairs all dressed and sat down at the table. Ahatake was there, slightly bandaged and with one of his arms in a sling. "Hi Tou-san!" Akane greeted him. "Where's Onee-chan?" "In the kitchen." Ahatake said, pointing with his good arm. Indeed she was. The sweet smell of morning food could be inhaled through their noses. It wasn't surprising to see Michiyo come out with two plates of food, and even wearing an apron. "Hey!" She greeted. It had been a few weeks since they had come back from their final battle with Tenko and Michiyo had started seeing an awful lot of Gohan. "Morning Onee-san." Akane greeted her sister. "I've been dying to ask. Is this new cheerful mood because of your new boyfriend?" "Maybe." Michiyo admitted, setting the plate down in front of Akiko gently. She set the other one in front of her father. "Thanks Michiyo." Ahatake said, picking up his chopsticks. "Isn't he the one that moves like lightning?" Akane asked. "That's the one!" Michiyo grinned, nodding in affirmation as she took her own seat. "At that speed, you must be satisfied every night." Akane said, saying the exact same words her mother had used to tease Yumi. It was enough to make the elder girl laugh at her choice of words. Unlike her sister, she had little shame over such words, having gained her mother's devious personality. To hear them come from her younger sister was quite a refresher to her mind. "Such a mouth you've gained, imouto! But, such a stage hasn't been reached. We've only begun to know each other, after all." Gently, she took her own seat and slid perfectly into a comfortable position, eyes glancing down at the food. She did look a bit wistful, though - no matter how she did it, it never quite matched Chiaki's... Maybe she was getting some sort of inferiority complex. Akane pouted. Her sister had given a much to calm response to her provocation and it annoyed her. If Michiyo was anything like herself or Ahatake she would have gone off the edge. Akane ate her food quietly as Yuri walked downstairs, dressed in her normal school-girl outfit. The purple-haired beauty craned her head gently, untied locks swaying about her. When her eyes landed on the girl, she had to give what was to be her own look of amusement. "Well, Yue-''chan''. I didn't know you were still in school!" She commented. Yuri smiled for a moment but did not reply. "Yue-chan isn't much of a morning person." Akane explained. "Well, at least she smiled! Had it been a real grump, it would've been a different story..." She countered, raising a hand to motion towards the empty chair - or rather, another steaming plate of food. "Just in case you were hungry..." "Thanks." Yuri said, sitting down in front of the plate. "Itadakimasu." She said and started eating as well. It was almost as if they had gained a second sibling. As she began to eat, Michiyo had snuck glances at her out of curiosity. "Yue." She stated calmly. "Do you ever... I might have known this before, but... have your own house? I know you said your parents were killed..." "I do actually." Yuri said after swallowing her food. "Though it may be hard to believe, I am a Tenno. Or rather part Tenno anyway. So I do not live that far from here." Part Tenno. It was like a damn having broken through to her water-low mind, filling it with new information and theories. Her eyes widened, and her mouth would've went agape if it wasn't for her self-control. All this time, she had simply assumed the girl to be a wandering orphan, unrelated to the Tenno at all. But now, there was a reason for her to be actually staying at their home. She attempted to mask this shock quickly, putting on a smile and squinted eyes. "If you ever do go back... can we get a chance to visit you sometime?" She asked politely. "I mean, as much as you've been doing it to us, it'd only be fair." "Hm?" Yuri looked surprised. "Well, of course, but I'd have to clean the place. I haven't been there for awhile, so it must be dusty and disorganized." "Oh, don't worry." Michiyo assured with a wave of her hand. "I'd lend a hand to help you straighten it out, if you wanted." "I-I couldn't have you do that!" Yuri said, looking flustered. "It wouldn't be right to have you help me when all I do is sit around here!" Ahatake looked between them. This was an interesting discussion. This girl didn't have the aura of a Tenno, yet she had Tenno blood. What an interesting piece of information. Michiyo scoffed. "What nonsense. The birds chirping outside don't help me, either, flying everywhere and singing their songs. But when its wings are broken, a kind soul doesn't need something from that bird in order to help it. You don't need to do anything for us - we take care of our friends and family." Yuri's face turned a deep red that should have spread to her hair but it did not. "Thanks, Michiyo-san." She said as she and Akane set down their chopsticks. Michiyo mimicked their movements, her plate having been finished. With everything clear, she set her elbows on the table, chin resting on the back of her hands. "So, any plans for today?" She said, in an effort for a smooth change of topic. Akane faked an expression of mock hurt. "Onee-chan! You're supposed to prepare to watch my team get to the finals!! You and Tou-san!" "Oh?" Michiyo put a finger to her chin, an expression of feigning innocence. "I must've forgotten." She hadn't. Akane ignored this and grinned. "Seeya'll in awhile!" She grabbed Yuri's hand. "C'mon Yue-chan, we gotta go." She pulled Yuri out the door. Yuri looked at Michiyo and Ahatake with an expression akin to "Help Me". Ahatake laughed. "Such youth these days..." Michiyo gushed in a joking manner, propping one elbow on the table. Her face rested in one hand, a smile decorating her face. "Makes me feel jealous to be an older sister." Ahatake laughed. "Let's just get ready." ---- Yuri and Akane stopped running when they reached the hall that led to where they would start their exam. Their teammate and sensei should have arrived to greet them by now. And sure enough... "Hey!" The voice of their teammate Kaiya reached their ears, along with the sound of walking footsteps. Contrary to before, she was now wearing her "standard" shinobi uniform - a sleeveless, gray-brown, and Chinese shirt with a loin-cloth-like piece of clothing covering the upper extremeties. She had come well-equipped: a sword sheathed on her waist, a sheathed knife secured to her lower back, and a kunai holster wrapped around her left leg. She had come smart. Akane fingered her own sword and grinned. "Where'd you get the blade Kaiya?" "Tou-san crafted it for me in order to use." Kaiya replied, grinning back as she stopped in front of her two teammates. "I didn't really want to be carrying too much gear on me, but he insisted..." "Your father has good taste." Akane grinned. "Good to see everyone here." Karin walked into the hall. "Kaiya you going hunting?" "If it's in the exams!" Kaiya replied mirthfully. "Otherwise, I won't be touching a soul." Karin grinned. "So are you three ready?" Akane grinned and Yuri nodded, along with Kaiya. "Well step into that door." Karin instructed. "I won't be following you." With those words, Kaiya, at least, could assume that this was where their sensei's hand would leave her. It was up to them to decide now whether they passed or failed, their paths right in front of them. It would separate those who were worthy and those who were not of becoming a true ninja. Needless to say, she was quite confident. Without hesitation, and a nod towards her sensei, she was the first to push open the doors and step inside. Yuri and Akane followed her and they were shocked by what they saw. The area was packed with Shinobi from many other villages, though there was a fair shair of Konoha shinobi as well. "Whoah!!" Akane gasped. "Look at all the people." It was indeed a slew of shinobi gathered in the room, having gathered and discussing amongst themselves random things in order to ease the boredom while the proctors showed up. However, all of those shinobi had turned their eyes towards the new arrivals thanks to the Tenno's outburst. Dead silence was in the room. But all a surprised Kaiya said was "Oh, my..." as she put a hand to her mouth. Akane was not fazed however. "So what is this place do ya think anyway?" She asked anyone who would answer. "Oh, look. Fresh meat." "One of 'em's a Tenno." "I think that lead girl's trying to show her stuff, lookin' like that..." Dozens of whispers came from the crowd, her words having fallen upon deaf ears for the moment. Kaiya took it upon herself to turn to her teammate. "A waiting room. I see a desk up ahead of us, but it's empty... the proctors must haven't arrived." She said observantly. Yuri looked around. There were empty places. They looked like desks. "Guess we should just sit down and wait 'till the proctors arrive no?" Yuri asked Kaiya. "Doubt that'd be recommended. That's the proctor's seats." Instead of Kaiya, however, another voice spoke for her, the tone clearly male. And the one who had spoken up so carelessly stepped into view, hands in his pockets, and a smile on his face. Now, for a Shinobi, he wore rather casual attire: a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He also wore dark pants, the only thing that could be considered to be "shinobi-like" was his sandals. He was dark-skinned, and a Kumokagure forehead protector was wrapped around his arm. "Good day, ladies." He said politely, bowing his head. Yuri looked up. "Oh thanks. Then where is a free seat?" "There ain't none. We'll have to wait until the--" Immediately, there was silence once more, and all eyes were turned upon a hooded figure who had his arms crossed across his chest. He held a rather bulky look to his form, indicating physical dominance over the group. "Proctors get here..." He finished, frowning slightly. He sighed heavily. "And this guy doesn't look friendly, either." "Listen up, you maggots!" The man barked out, authority and demand in his tone. "Today is the day you pieces of meat get to go to market, and I'll be deciding which ones'll be thrown away to rot. There'll be three tests: written, survival, and tournament, and failure is not an option. Are we clear?" Mutters of confirmation could be heard throughout the crowd. The man smirked. "Good." "What the heck is this, army training?" Akane muttered to the Kumogakure ninja. The man shrugged, chuckling a bit. "From the looks of it, I think that can be considered." He replied. "The proctors can be a real bitch." He made sure, however, to keep his voice low to keep from being heard. "I hope he shuts up soon." Akane grumbled. "I wanna get to the fighting.." Yuri chuckled. "Akane, just be patient." "The review halls are to the left of you, beyond that door. Hope you all enjoy being nerds, at least for a little while. Dismissed." With that, the proctor disappeared, and the crowd immediately filed into the designated door to their desired test rooms. "Kinda of a rude proctor isn't he?" Akane grumbled as she followed everyone into the testing room. "I stand by what I said..." The man replied lowly. As the doors were pushed open, it had a relatively similar setting to the academy class-room. There was a ramp with connected desks that led downward, leaving only space for someone to move through and sit in. There was a pathway clear down the middle of the ramp, leaving easy access to the desks. Coincidentally, all of the chairs had been taken... except for four seats, that were closely separated from one another. The stranger sighed, putting a hand to his head in consideration. "Right..." He muttered, walking through to his own seat of choice. "Let's do this." Akane, Yuri and Kaiya all sat in three seats next to each other leaving the dark skinned man a seat next to Akane. "Hey...what's your name anyway?" Akane asked. "Hm?" He turned his head to her, nodding. "Name's Seken." He introduced, giving her a re-assuring smile. "I'm Akane Tenno." Akane replied. "I'm Yuri." The pink haired girl introduced herself. "Kaiya..." Leaning back a bit, Kaiya greeted the man with a smile of her own. "Nice to meet you, by the way." That brought a slight chuckle from Seken as he nodded in return. "Thanks. Same here to you!" "Akane.." Yuri whispered. "There's someone looking this way." "What do you mean?" Akane asked. Yuri pointed at the only standing individual in the room. A young man was standing there, staring at the group with a cold expression. He was wearing a plain hooded cloak which blew around him despite the lack of wind. Seken and Kaiya turned their own gazes towards the figure. But the former, upon seeing it for a brief second, simply shrugged and turned back to face forward. "Probably because we're a few of the ones who bother to talk." He said dismissively. "Let 'em stare. Probably has nothing better to do anyway..." The figure looked as if he was about to raise his hand towards them, but seemed to repress the urge and took a seat. "That was odd." Akane muttered. "Oh look the proctor's here." "All right, settle down..." With a raised hand, the man immediately silenced all talk that had exceeded from the students. "This'll be standard testing, at least for those of you who actually seen a test before." He stated with business-like voice, but a rather dry hint of sarcasm. "It'll be on information required to learn as a shinobi. Written answer, multiple choice." A small grin escaped his face. "Oh, and careful not to get caught cheating." He nodded towards three Chunin who were sitting in chairs that overlooked the ramps, as well as another three at the opposite wall. They were looming with bored faces, as if waiting for someone to slip up. "Those guys'll spot you and haul not only you, but your team with you." A Genin up front raised his hand. "Sir, is there anything else we should know about this test?" "Only that you need a pencil for it." The man answered, holding up the fresh stack. He handed the said Genin one, and walked around the room to distribute them. "They'll be right beside you, along with your test." "I say he's hiding something from us." Akane whispered. It only took a few minutes for him to pass them around completely, returning to his spot at the front of the room. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he nodded for them to pick up their pencils. "You may begin." Testing Akane looked at her test. "Question no. 1, Line B seen in picture, is the greatest possible distance a shinobi can throw his shuriken from a tree of 7 meters. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the Shuriken's range, explain the attack options using this distance. Show your work." A look of panic slid over her face. "I can't answer a question like this..moving on." Kaiya looked carefully over her questions as well, eyeing each one carefully. She didn't bother to read them specifically, but she did note that, much to her surprise, they didn't seem of their training level. If she was accurate, this was like a middle-schooler doing college work - it was way above their level. "What kind of a test is this...?" She thought in puzzlement. She looked down at Seken, who hadn't even bothered to pick up his own pencil yet. His eyes were scanning over the papers for a moment, before a rather relaxed expression came over him. Calmly, he flipped the page, continuing to look over them as if he had just done the first page. Something wasn't right. Shrugging slightly, she turned back to her own work, doing her best to answer the seemingly impossible questions. Yuri frowned as she pressed her pencil to her mouth and started to gnaw on it, looking over the questions. "I highly doubt many of the contestants here can answer these.." She thought, her eyes narrowing as she scanned more and more of the test. "And what's with this 10th question?" She looked at the very bottom of the testing paper. This question will be revealed 45 minutes after the test begins. Listen closely to the examiner before answering. Along with that... "Hey, wait a minute!" A word of protest could be heard out. If anyone had looked up at that moment, they would've seen one of the Chunin snatch one of the test-takers by the shoulder and haul him out. "I-I wasn't cheating!" He shouted indignantly. "We saw your eyes wavering, kid. You can't get past these eyes." Reluctantly, his two teammates, having withered expressions on their faces, turned and followed them out the door, lest they wanted to share an alternate, and possibly worse, punishment. Akane sighed. "We better not go the same way as them.." Yuri continued to gnaw on the pencil, deep in thought. "This system seems to be set up so it encourages you to cheat.." She thought, her eyes scanning the room quickly. "They want to test out informaton gathering skills. This isn't an intelligence exam! This'll be difficult.." Immediately, as soon as she came to that conclusion, something small hit her in the eye from the side, sliding down to her eyelid and landing down in front of her. It was a small piece of paper, wadded up and wetted by saliva. A spitball. Yuri looked around for the source of the paper. "Who the..?" When her eyes fell on a certain student, he immediately shifted back to his spot, trying to look innocent. Long hair, brown eyes, and a slightly tan complexion. Like Seken, he wore a rather casual attire, something that made him stick out amongst the many ninja. "What the.." Yuri sighed and chose to ignore him. She had to figure out on how she was going to gather information. She didn't have any jutsu made for stealth so this would be difficult. She looked at the clock. "30 minutes left...15 minutes 'till question 10..maybe that will be our saving grace." First page done. Kaiya almost let out a sigh in relief as she looked over it, checking to see if her answers were written correctly. Satisfied with her answer, she turned to the next page and continued writing, apparently having gained confidence. Akane looked horrified. "I haven't been able to answer a single one of these! How the hell did Onee-chan get through this??" If anyone looked up at that moment, they would've seen the spitball thrown rolling as if an unknown wind was blowing on it. It stopped to rest near a person who had both of his sheets spread out, stopping right beside his paper. The spit-baller, who had turned back to his paper long by then, allowed a small grin to his face as he began to write quickly. One of his eyes held the color of hazel. The same color of the hapless student who was too busy on his own test to notice it all. Yuri decided to chance it. She formed a seal under the table and small, semi-transparent petals formed. Before she could take action, however, a kunai wizzed across the room and landed on a Genin's test paper right in front of her. "Number 123, you fail!" One of the proctors from the corner called. "Get your teammates and get out." The boy, grumbling, walked out, taking his two teammates with him. "Poor bastard..." Seken thought, shuddering slightly under the ruthlessness shown by the test watchers. Yet, he remained fixed to his own paper, trying his best to ignore the scene. Yuri began to spread the petals out slowly, so as not to attract attention. That's when the proctor, walking around the front of the room to check himself, let his eye fall on the girl, his gaze directly towards her. She noticed this, and slowed her petals down so they reflected light in such a way that they became invisible. For a moment, he didn't move his gaze, almost as if he was reading her movements as easily as a book. Then, after a tense moment, he turned away and continued to walk around, eyeing the rest of the students. The moment he walked away she continued to move her petals and angled them over a choice test. The moment she could clearly see the words she began scribbling down on her test. "Number 101, you fail!" Another proctor cried out. "Take your teammates and go!" The boy reacted furiously only to cower under the glares of the proctors and grudgingly leave with his team. The head chuckled softly as he watched them leave. Slowly, they were being weeded out, and after several minutes of what seemed like eternity, few were left to stay unmarked by his Chunin assistants. Those who could evade their eyes obviously held good potential, and would go far in the shinobi world. How far... he could never tell. His eyes drifted towards the clock for a moment, before he stood up straight. "All right! Eyes up, pencils down! It's time for the 10th question." He said, loudly and clearly. Akane groaned, Yuri was smiling. She had managed to answer all 9 of her questions. Now for the final one. "Note this, though..." The proctor added. "It won't matter if the previous nine had been right or wrong. If you get this one wrong..." His eyes half-lidded, and the next word he spoke sent a chill down Seken's spine. "Not only you will fail the exam, but you will be also barred from taking it ever again. Period." Akane's eyes widened and the entire room went silent, though this did not last for long. "What do you mean barred from ever taking it again??" A young girl burst out. "I'm sure there are people here who've taken it before!!" His eyes snapped to her. "Oh, that's right. There is an alternate decision: should you choose to allow yourself to not answer this 10th question, you are free to get up and leave now. You will fail... but you can easily take the chance of passing it next year when you think you're ready. I'll give you this choice now." He cocked his head to the side. "Will you leave to try again another day, or will you take the gamble of not taking it ever again? Make your decision." The room was filled with buzzing discussion, some of which was loud arguments between teammates. All except The Karin trio, Seken, the spitballer, and the boy in the cloak. One boy raised his hand. "I-I can't do it.. guys I've got to go.." "Numbers 102, 191, and 180 please leave." That was when Seken turned his glance, much to Kaiya's slight surprise, towards the spit-baller, who was leveling an equal stare in his own direction. Neither of them spoke, but it was clear that some form of communication was understood. Within a few seconds, the spit-baller nodded, and so did Seken. The proctor looked at the rest. "Anyone else? Just to make sure you're not in over your head..." No one else moved. It seemed they were all confident they could pass the 10th question. At that, the proctor finally allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "All right, then. It's settled...you all pass this part of the exam." Both of the boys smirked. More buzzing enused, and it was clear everyone was at a loss for words. But this buzzing was shot lived, as a black-haired, red eyed, large breasted woman walked into the room. It was Karin. "Alright everyone, listen up! I'm the proctor for your next exam, so if you all will quickly get up and kindly follow me!" "Bloody hell?" The proctor, a slight eye twitching, turned his gaze to the said woman. "You need to knock before you just walk in like that." He scolded lightly, though his voice was one of slight amusement. Karin grinned. "What does it matter? I'm new at this anyway." Everyone, including a stunned Team Karin, got up and followed their new proctor outside of the hall and they stopped near an gate that kept in a forested area. "S-Sensei!!" Akane cried out. "YOU'RE a proctor too?" "No need to sound so surprised." Karin replied smiling. "Heh...was that also why you didn't come with us?" Kaiya questioned, putting on a small grin. "Exactly." The sensei replied and she whistled loudly. "Alright everyone listen up. This is the Forty-fourth training ground also known as the forest of death! This is where the second part of your Chunin Exam will take place!" "Hey, why's it called the Forest of Death?!" A very. Stupid. Question. Coming from none other than Seken himself. Beside him, the spit-baller, who had his arms across his chest, shot him an exasperated glare, as well as a female who flanked his other side. Apparently, they were his teammates. Karin sighed. "This forest contains many large and sometimes poisonous animals, giant leeches and serpents. Even the plants will attack if you get to close. Does that answer you're question sweetie?" Karin asked. All doubts of the name had immediately ceased. Seken, only slightly embarrassed, merely shrugged and folded his arms across his chest in order to match his partner. "Anyone else have any questions?" Karin asked loudly. What more would've been there to ask? The students remained silent, with the apprehension of the dangers and traps that were sure to lie ahead. The very fact that they could die was enough to make them understand that what they were heading to... they possibly wouldn't be coming back out. At least, in one piece. "In that case, I'll need you all to sign these contracts." She began to pass one out to each of them. "This is so we won't be held liable in case you all get killed." They did so, taking each sheet and signing it with shaking hands. Tension and nervousness, despite the fact that they knew what they were walking into, rose within the crowd as they put their name on what seemed to be their own death warrants. By now, it was so easy to back out and quit in order to avoid a date with death. Akane signed her and watched Yuri and Kaiya sign theirs as well. They handed it back to Karin. "All right now, each team step into that booth behind the drapes and grab a scroll." She held up two scrolls, one with 地''' (Chi, English: Earth) and '''天 (Ten English: Heaven). "You will take one of these. Your objective is to take the other from an opposing team and make your way to the tower in the center. Is that clear?" "Yes, ma'am!" The teams began to file into the booth and took a scroll, though it was made so each team couldn't see which team was getting which scroll. It was Team Karin's turn. They walked in and looked at the selection. Akane thought for a moment. Her last name was Tenno, which could mean heavenly king. She selected the 天''' (Ten English: Heaven) scroll. They walked out as Senken's team entered. But before Seken himself could choose, the spit-baller chose for him. With a quick hand, he took the Earth scroll, placed it in a surprised Seken's hand, and left with a grin over his shoulder. The dark-skinned male cocked an eybrow, but chose to follow, sparing a glance towards his female teammate. The girl shrugged. "What? Either one or the other, and they both look the same..." With that, they went past and followed, with their very own path into the forest. The cloaked boy and his two female teammates entered the tent next. He had removed his hood to reveal platinum colored hair. He was completely silent and slowly reached for a heaven scroll and stowed it inside his robes. He motioned towards his teammates who followed him with looks of reverence. All the teams took their places at their respective gates, and talking resumed while they waited for the signal. "Alright..everyone who has their scrolls..." Karin called out. "GO!" The gates opened with a buzzing noise and the teams filed in like race horses and they spread out. "Alright everyone!" Akane grinned. "Let's get movin'!" "Right behind ya, Akane!" Kaiya called out. Scroll Hunt Akane gripped a tree branch and swung like a monkey. "Well Kaiya, you're the smart one. What should we do first?" "Eh?" Even as they sped throughout the forest, Kaiya merely shrugged her shoulders and put on a smile. "Sorry, Akane-san. But whoever said I was smart enough for stuff like this?" She asked. "I simply listened to sensei's instructions." Akane looked alarmed but Yuri cleared her throat. "Considering that we're in the wilderness, the first thing we should do is make a shelter so we'll have some place to retire to at night. And gather drinking water. This test lasts for five days does it not? We'll need food and drink. Let's find some place secluded so that it's hard to be seen by both Shinobi and animals." Kaiya nodded. "All right. But we should keep on the move as much as we can. Five days or not, it's still a time limit." She suggested. "True." Yuri replied. "Our main goal is to grab an Earth scroll from the first team we can see that has one. For that, I suggest traps. Any objections?" "Not from this corner." Akane piped up. "Hmm..." Frowning, Kaiya folded her arms and put a hand to her chin, thinking carefully. "It depends on where we'll be staying..." She said thoughtfully, looking down at the bottom branches of the trees. "We can set up a ground trap right away; pull some branches low to the ground as far as we can without snapping them, and tying them in place with some heavy rope...or anything that can hold down such." Yuri nodded and reached into her shirt, pulling out a long roll of wire. "I'm thinking wire can be used as well. A double-layered trap. One where the wire is perfectly visible then the next where the wire is frosted green for camouflage. I think it'll be a good defense around our shelter, to signal us in case someone is coming." "Good idea!" Kaiya cheered, clapping her hands together. "I'm carrying wire, too!" "Yuri why'd you have that wire in your shirt anyway?" Akane asked. For the second time that day, Yuri's face turned deep red. "W-well..I uh...I had different intentions for this wire than my suggestion.. but.." Her voice trailed off. Kaiya's smile became knowing in nature, and she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Yuri... you're so naughty when you want to be!" She teased. Yuri's blush deepened. Akane cleared her throat and motioned upwards. They looked at a tree and saw a large python. "I think we should go." "Eh?" Kaiya raised her own eyes to subconsciously meet the massive serpent staring down upon them. "I'm sure it's just upset that we invaded its territory..." She suggested, although her unnerved tone spoke otherwise. "Yeah... we should just leave calmly. Don't alert it..." "Whatever you say." Akane replied as they slowly moved away from the area and broke into a run as soon as they were sure it was out of earshot. Yuri stopped in front of a large tree. "I say we begin making the shelter now." She said. "This area seems suitable, hidden by large trees." "Let's just hope someone hasn't occupied it..." Kaiya noted, hand reaching for the hilt of her sword just in case. Akane walked around as if someone would just spring out if she walked near them. "What makes you think that?" "Well, the enemy shinobi around would be a first!" "I think the area is sage, Kaiya." Yuri replied. "The ground doesn't seem to have been disturbed at all recently so we can assume we are the first ones here." "Good to hear..." That brought some relief upon Kaiya's expression. "Then we can settle in." "Alright." Yuri said and formed seals. "Earth Release: Hollow Rising!" She pressed her hands to the ground and it raised itself up, forming a small dirt and grass made cave. "Ah..." Kaiya commented, surprised. She turned her gaze towards Yuri. "Your abilities come in handy. Now, let's get to work on those traps!" "Alright." Yuri said as she began to unwind her roll of string. "Hey, Kaiya!" Akane walked up to Kaiya. "I have a question and feel free to say no." "What is it, Akane?" With an expression of puzzlement, the girl looked at her companion, putting her hands across her hips. "Would you consider having like a three-way relationship with me and Yuri?" Akane asked. Yuri's hand slipped on her wire. A blush spread across the girl's face. Her eyes half-lidded at that moment, as she considered her words carefully. "Really?" She questioned, a hint of teasing in her voice. "You wouldn't mind if I... played with you?" Akane grinned. "Nope." Yuri did not speak, her face once again red as she cobwebbed wire around their shelter. "All right." Kaiya grinned back, her eyes glancing at Yumi for a moment. "That's fine with me." She turned to run towards Yuri, calling out "Need any help, Yuri?" "N-No I'm just fine!" Yuri called back. The flustered nature in her voice made the girl smile, as she folded her arms across her chest. Had she really made that much of an impression...? It didn't take Yuri long to set up her wire trap and explain to Kaiya and Akane how to avoid it. "What's next on our to-do list?" Akane asked. The soft-speaking girl folded her arms across her chest. "Yumi mentioned something about food and water..." "Oh right." Akane sighed. "I forgot." Yuri looked around and sniffed the air. "There should be a river not to far from here..about..5 minutes from here actually." "Wait...you can figure that out with just your sense of smell alone?" Kaiya questioned, a baffled expression on her face. "And water, at the very least?" "I'm not sure how it's possible." Yuri replied, smiling. "My sense of smell is just like that. For example, I can smell blood a few miles away from here." Blood. As soon as she said that very word, a chill went down Kaiya's spine. "The killings are already beginning, I suppose." She said quietly. "And if it's just a few miles away..." She trailed off, leaving them to their imagination. "Don't worry, Kaiya." Yuri said sweetly. "We won't get caught. But our first priority is food, not scrolls." "Right..." Yuri and Akane stooped up to kiss Kaiya as she was easily the tallest of them all. "C'mon before it gets dark and the fish move on." Yuri said and she started to move towards the direction of the river. Their lips were soft. For a few seconds, that was the only coherent thought that Kaiya had formed as her teammates had so daringly kissed her, before she snapped out of it in order to follow them. They reached the river without any real problems, and they were surprised to see the water so still. "Is this...normal for a river?" Akane asked. "Hmm...maybe the wind isn't blowing." Kaiya stepped from between her two teammates in order to feel if the wind was actually blowing. "It's probably gonna remain still if the wind's still." "Alright." Akane said. "Now it's my turn." She stuck her hand in the water and it began to swirl as it had done during her training, catching 6 fish, to for each of them. "Fairly simple." "And, apparently, Akane's fine..." Kaiya added, smiling in earnest as she stepped towards the river and kneeled over. "So, I assume it shoudln't hurt..." Then, she reached out and thrust a hand into the cold waters. The water, matching the movements from before, swirled around, but when she pulled it back out, she held a sphere of water instead. Inside of it were six of her own fish, swimming around inside the considerable space. Yuri mimicked their movements and soon had six of her own fish. Seemed they all had Water Release. "Well guess we head back now." Yuri said, smiling. "Just a minute." With a toss, Kaiya hefted her own fish back into the sea. "We don't want to carry too much." She explained. "True." Akane replied, but before they could continue moving, a kunai knife spun through Akane's ball of water, destroying it and landing neatly in a tree trunk. The cheerful mood was instantly shattered. Tension had once again took over. Immediately, Kaiya snapped her gaze up towards the source, yanking out a kunai of her own. Upon instinct and reflex, she threw it at what she believed to be the source of the enemy. "So there were enemies here, after all!" She thought with apprehension. The trio looked in the direction of the Kunai, to see the platinum haired cloak boy. Only he had abandoned the cloak and was staring down at them with a cold expression. "The boy from before..." Slowly Kaiya lowered her stance and looked on in surprise at the figure who stared down so coldly at them. It was lucky she hadn't looked into his eyes - she wasn't used to such a stare before, and eye contact would've just made her even more tense. "But...where's his team?" She thought, a bit of confusion showing through her eyes. The boy held up his Earth Scroll, and gestured to Akane. "I think he's challenging you, Akane..." Kaiya commented. "Should we help?" "Yea, I think so." Akane replied, showing him their heaven scroll. "This guy sends chills up my spine." "Gotcha..." Sliding her feet apart, Kaiya gripped the hilt of her sword and slowly unsheathed it. "But, where are his partners? I would've assumed they would've accompanied him by now..." She muttered hesitantly. The boy looked at them for a moment, and after seeing the heaven scroll, vanished. Eerie silence fell. "Keep on your guard..." Was the only thing Kaiya could say at the moment, readying her sword and keeping her eyes peeled. There was a slight buzzing behind them and the boy reappeared behind them hands in his pockets. He didn't make a move yet. Kaiya did. Eyebrows knitting together, she swung in a half-pivot, her sword hand raised in a sportsman-like backhand. Then, with grace, she spun around and swung that blade in an effort to decapitate the man. He ducked and pressed his hands to the ground and pushed himself up, the soles of his shoes connecting with Kaiya's face. It. Hurt. Not only was her vision jarred, but it was also sent upwards as well as her body did. She was sent backwards, sprawling on her back as a result of the force put into the attack. Akane was furious and charged in at the boy, her fist aiming directly for his face. To her surprise he caught it, pulled her in, and slammed his own fist into her face, breaking her nose. He thew her into the nearest tree and turned his attention to Yuri. And he spoke for the first time. "I do not see what the taichou sees in your group." He whispered. "Taichou..." Giving herself time to recover, Kaiya had managed to flip back on her feet, raising her sword against him once more. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration rather than anger, staring down the boy with slight disdain. "What do you mean, taichou?" She questioned forcefully. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." The boy replied. He walked over to the unconscious form of Akane. "Pathetic." He turned back to them and reached for a Kunai. He vanished yet again and reappeared behind Yuri, sinking a kunai deep into her back, barely missing her heart. Her two partners.... and he had dismissed them both. With no effort. At all. Even as she stood in her stance, Kaiya's heart began to pound rapidly. Her eyes stared in astonishment and fear at her opponent as he saw witnessed Yumi fall like a rag doll to the ground. With every move he made, she knew that only death would be coming for her. "Someone..." Her hand began to quiver, and a bead of sweat dripped down her face as she pleaded silently to the heavens. "Anyone...stop this monster...help me..." She shut her eyes. "Someone...!" Her prayers were answered. Instead of feeling the pain, she opened her eyes back up in surprise when she heard the sound of electricity crackling, and earth rumbling. Then, her mouth opened as well, unable to comprehend the scene in front of her. There was a pathway of electricity heading straight towards the side of the boy, ripping through the ground as it did so. "Hm?" The boy quickly jumped into the nearest tree to avoid the oncoming attack and looked down to see a new arrival. "And who might you be?" It was Seken... having come just in the nick of time. Instinctively, he too leaped into a parallel tree, sticking close to the boy. He rested a palm against the bark in order to keep his balance. "They call me Seken." He replied, eyes furrowed, and a frown on his face. The boy glared down at him. "I see. And what business do you have here?" Seken chuckled. "Why, getting the Heaven scroll, of course! Though, this commotion just had to lead me here..." His eyes descended downwards towards the fallen shinobi, and he let out a makeshift whistle. "Hoo boy... you sure did a number on them, eh?" The boy sighed. "If others are on their way, then it seems my mission is to be aborted for now.." "Fair enough. It wasn't like I wanted a chat, anyway..." "I'll be sure to tell the captain.." The boy said. "That the group he was interested in are pathetic. They aren't even worth killing." He faded completely, leaving only the unconscious Yuri, Akane and the two conscious Kaiya and Seken. Not worth killing? Definitely an odd one out of the group. Cocking one eyebrow, a bit of apprehension filled him, but he decided to say nothing of it. Instead, he looked down towards a stunned Kaiya, and called down, "Hey! You might wanna bandage those wounds up before those girls die!" She immediately snapped out of her trance, a look of shock glazing over her as she switched her gaze to her partners. "B..but, I'm no medic-nin! I don't know how to--" "Just find some bandages or somethin' and stop the bleeding, all right? I'm off!" "Wait--" But before she could say anything else, he had disappeared as well. She sighed heavily, walking towards her teammates and kneeled over them. It was going to be a lot of work... Aftermath Akane was the first to wake up, inside the earth and grass cave. Her head ached and she felt as is she'd been drugged. "Don't get up yet. You're injured..." Kaiya's gentle voice spoke above her. "K...Kaiya?" Akane asked. She sounded groggy. "What the hell happened?" "That guy who appeared nearly killed you and Yuri." Kaiya explained, her tone slightly bitter. "I would've suffered the same fate, had that Seken hadn't come to save us in time." "Seken eh? That was nice of him.." "They both retreated, though." "I see..well at least you and Yuri are alive. That's what matters. Let's just rest until tomorrow morning.." "...since when were you under the impression that I was going to let you rest?" .... .... .... "Just kidding." '''The End